UPDATED Former Everton And Portsmouth Striker Yakubu Retires On His 35th Birthday

Yakubu became Everton's record signing at £11.25million in his heyday of 2007

Yakubu has announced his retirement from football on his 35th birthday after a career spanning 20 years.

Yakubu has retired for professional football after leaving Coventry earlier this year

Daily Mail Sport report continues:

The Nigerian, who has halted his career four goals short of 100, last featured on the professional stage for then League One side Coventry in February.

Yakubu made only three appearances for Coventry and was left out of their squad for the remainder of last season before his contract was terminated.

Coventry were relegated into the fourth tier of English football shortly after, while Yakubu has since been a free agent.

'I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today,' Yakubu told Sky Sports. 

The former Everton forward made 250 Premier League appearances - 82 for the Toffees, 73 for Middlesbrough and 67 for Portsmouth - with his last coming for Blackburn in 2012.

Yakubu first announced himself onto the European stage during his Champions League debut where he netted a hat-trick against Olympiacos. 

At 22, he caught the attention of English football when he scored in a 3-0 win over Manchester United, before securing a January move to Portsmouth. 

The former striker netted a career high of 21 goals in 2007-08 for Everton, as well as helping Middlesbrough to the UEFA Cup final in 2006. 

In a Tweet, the Nigerian Football Federation wrote: 'The Yak... is third best all-time scorer of the senior national team. Thank you for the memories.'

The former Everton striker scored 96 Premier League goals during his nine seasons in England

Yakubu Aiyegbeni Announces Retirement From Football
The Punch reports former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has announced his retirement from football. 

Aiyegbeni retired from football on Wednesday, which is his 35th birthday.

The 35-year-old started his career with Julius Berger FC in Lagos as a teenager in the Nigerian Premier League. He was later loaned to Portuguese club Gil Vicente. He made 250 appearances in the English Premier League, playing for Everton FC, Middlesborough FC, Portsmouth FC, and Blackburn.

Aiyegbeni is Nigeria’s third highest goalscorer with scored 21 goals in 57 appearances for the Super Eagles.

He said, “I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today.

“Firstly, I would like to thank God for the career I have had. I would like to thank the entire Nigerian Football Federation and my Nigerian national team-mates for all the memorable years I had playing for the Super Eagles.

“I would also like to thank all the football clubs I played for. The managers, all club staff, owners, fellow players and my dearest family and friends who immensely supported me throughout my career.

“When I started my career at Julius Berger in Nigeria all those years ago (1997) I could only have dreamt of the success that was to follow years after.

“Also playing in England especially helped me grow as a player and as a person so much that I am now settled here. I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life.”

The striker left League Two side, Coventry City, in April after only three appearances.
He made four African Cup of Nations appearances for Nigeria and also played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.